Historic Henderson Chapel Church

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Historic Henderson Chapel Church The Historic Henderson Chapel Church, built circa 1890, is located on Church Street in Rutledge, Grainger County, Tennessee.

It is one of the Oldest African American Churches in the South East. Henderson Chapel AME Zion Church in Rutledge, the seat of Grainger County, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places under the criteria for its local significance in African-American ethnic identity and religion. It is the oldest African-American congregation in Grainger County and the oldest extant African-American church building in the county. Built in 1890 and as one of the handful of extant nineteenth century African-American church buildings in the state, Henderson Chapel Church meets the registration requirements for Historic Rural African-American Churches in Tennessee, 1850-1890. The organized church activity dates to 1833, the date when the local congregation and local historians agree that the predecessor to Henderson Chapel was established. This early date also makes the congregation one of the oldest in the South, especially in the rural South.

Some old debris and the rotten fence have been removed! Work on the roof will begin soon! Stay tuned! Also, thanks to St...
10/13/2026

Some old debris and the rotten fence have been removed! Work on the roof will begin soon! Stay tuned! Also, thanks to Stan from the Grainger Historic Society for mowing!

Come see John at the The 2026 Grainger County Tomato Festival Page!!
07/17/2026

Come see John at the The 2026 Grainger County Tomato Festival Page!!

We have an update for our followers! We have received the plans from the architect for the next phase of renovations and...
07/09/2026

We have an update for our followers! We have received the plans from the architect for the next phase of renovations and are in the process of getting estimates from the contractor. More to come soon! Thank you all for your support!

We had a wonderful time at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration! Thanks to all who supported the renovations with y...
06/20/2026

We had a wonderful time at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration! Thanks to all who supported the renovations with your donations! And congratulations to KC Alvarado on winning the Dollywood Tickets!

All set up at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration! Come by our table and learn more about what’s going on with the...
06/19/2026

All set up at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration! Come by our table and learn more about what’s going on with the church AND buy your raffle ticket to win 4 Dollywood Tickets!

Be sure to come visit our table at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration to learn more about the Historic Henderson ...
06/17/2026

Be sure to come visit our table at the Hamblen County Juneteenth Celebration to learn more about the Historic Henderson Chapel AND a $20.00 donation to the church's restoration efforts gets you a chance to win 4 DOLLYWOOD TICKETS valued at $400.00!

04/24/2026

Check out this awesome video from our friends at Black in Appalachia!

Today was a great day. Historic Henderson Chapel Church was lowered down onto its new foundation. Great things are fix...
04/21/2026

Today was a great day. Historic Henderson Chapel Church was lowered down onto its new foundation. Great things are fixing to happen to the church

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Church Street
Rutledge, TN
37861

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